Posted by: Cardinal2B (jeff0649@optonline.net) on Tue Jun 25 08:39:19 2002

I was pretty delighted to find this site, since it is consistent with my observations. Jack has provided scientific evidence and refined this theory much further.

When I was a kid (I'm 52) we were taught to "Attack the Ball" as it came over the plate. To me this is kind of the essence of the Linear approach... and the flaws it begets: overstepping, lunging, caving rear shoulder, etc.
because when you attack you tend to be too aggressive, anxious, jumpy and tense.

My observation has been that good hitters are relaxed, do not jump at the ball, but let it come to them, then swing around an axis formed by a line from the head to the back bended knee at the finish of the swing.

But, the Linear guys have all these short neat phrases, y'know, and the stands and dugouts of the world keep repeating them! Let's face it ""Rotational Around a Stationary Axis," and "The Application of a Circular Hand Path." just aren't very catchy.

I mean I just can't see people yelling encouragement to the batter, like "C'mon Charlie, Apply a Circular hand Path!"

So..., let's get some thinking here!

I have had some success telling players that instead of "Attacking the Ball" they should "Defend the Strike Zone."

It seems to impart 2 things:
1. No point in defending against a pitch that is not going to be in the zone, right? (sort of a twist on get a good pitch to hit, but same idea), and
2. A controlled, relaxed, relatively effortless swing to make certain to hit the middle of the ball. (This is rotational since no "attack stride" is even needed.)


What Jack is saying is not really all that new. I believe it was Branch Rickey who observed that you cannot step and hit. What Jack offers is some serious evidence and a theoretical framework. What we need is some simple ways to communicate it.

Jeff